Do you ever see an announcement of an upcoming exhibit or event and think, ‘I’d like to see that?’ Last April, I saw an article about Nā Kuana`ike Pāheana o Hawai`i: Artistic Perspectives of Hawai`i. It’s on display at Lyman House Museum until September. Hmmm…I’d like to see that…sometime. I promptly forgot all about it
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OZ & THE CROSS OF GOLD
Last week I wrote about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum in its incarnations as a popular children’s book, the 1939 movie that has become a holiday favorite, and the story’s latest incarnation as the musical Wicked. (Here.) What more is there to say about Dorothy’s adventures in Oz? It turns out
ONCE UPON A TIME IN OZ
Last week I visited the magical Land of Oz. Sitting in Seattle’s Paramount Theater auditorium, I traveled via the musical notes and flashing lighting displayed in Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz. And I wondered, what is it about Oz that brings us back to the story generation after generation?
ABRAHAM CLARK’S ‘SACRED HONOR’
Before we bid farewell to the 2015 celebrations of Independence Day, I draw your attention to the Declaration of Independence and and the life of Abraham Clark, a member of the New Jersey delegation to the Second Continental Congress. What might the Declaration’s closing phrase have meant to a man neither wealthy nor prominent outside
MAGNA CARTA – A STILL LIVING DOCUMENT
At the close of last week’s episode in the story of Magna Carta, King John had managed to alienate almost everyone in England, as well as the French and the Pope – an impressive array of enemies. Nevertheless, John remained king. And in medieval England, the king was God’s anointed representative on earth. Many of John’s
Happy Birthday, Magna Carta!
Last Monday, June 15th, the Magna Carta was 800 years old. Yeah, I know. It’s not a date on the tip of your tongue. But, without the Magna Carta there wouldn’t have been a Declaration of Independence, and without the Declaration we wouldn’t celebrate the 4th of July. And without the 4th of July,
Packing for the Summer Silly Season
Summer is sometimes called “the silly season,” perhaps because the warm to stifling weather encourages us to shed layers of clothing and decorum. This 1939 poster advertises a seaside extension for visitors to the World’s Fair in New York City. What could be better than a stopover at Sea Cliff, Long Island? At 250 feet
Make Laundry Day a Happy Day
Throughout history, there has been laundry. As proof I submit today’s featured image of women in ancient Greece filling a wash tub. And, as long as there has been laundry, people — usually women — have complained about having to do it. But the truth is, washing clothes today isn’t nearly the chore that it
A Bird, A Boy, & A Painting: Donna Tartt’s Goldfinch
The European goldfinch is a small bird with a red face, black and white head, warm brown upper parts and whiter underparts. The male has a dark mask just behind the eye. This seventeenth century oil on wood painting by Calen Febritius captures the life of a pet goldfinch, no doubt kept for its cheery
MEMORIAL DAY – A TIME TO REMEMBER
Memorial Day is a somber day of remembrance. A time to remember the men and women in our Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in service to their country. One million two hundred sixty-four thousand Americans have died in our nation’s wars. Roughly six hundred twenty thousand men, almost half the total number of deaths,
Naughty Nellie and the Honest Cop
In 1900 Aberdeen was known as the Hellhole of the Pacific and more ominously The Port of Missing Men, a reference to the high murder rate. Aberdeen was a boomtown fueled by the timber industry and home to a wide-open social life for the two thousand or so loggers and sailors who came into town
NAUGHTY NELLIE – “a madam of legendary proportion”
I met Nellie Curtis at The Pike Brewing Company Pub located at the edge of Seattle’s Pike Place Market in the old LaSalle Hotel Building. Seattle is known for its microbreweries. My daughter thought it would be fun to check out Pike Brewing founded in 1989. We ordered the tasting sampler. First on the list
Retired Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett – A Remembrance
Guide Dog Spencer McGarrett became an integral part of our family the day he arrived as a well-trained, gangly one-year-old puppy, ready for life in the tropics. The Handsome Bloke spent a month training with Spencer at Guide Dogs Victoria in Australia before Spencer’s adventures began. Two years ago Spencer retired. Reflecting on his life,
POMPEII — MORE THAN A HISTORY LESSON
I was in Seattle for business meetings last week. But as the saying goes, ‘all work and no play makes Sandra a dull girl.’ Remedy – indulge in Seattle’s cultural delights. The historian in me won the toss, so my first visit was to the Pacific Science Center’s Pompeii: The Exhibition. It’s not the first
HAPA-HAOLE HAWAIIAN MUSIC – A SAMPLING
Hapa-haole technically means half-foreign, or half Hawaiian and half something else. Musically the term refers to a type of music founded on traditional Hawaiian mele with something added. James Revell Carr suggests King Kalākaua sponsored hula ku`i, a new style of hula accompanied by western instruments, including the guitar, banjo, violin, accordion, and ukulele. From
CRAFT FAIRS AT THE MERRIE MONARCH FESTIVAL
As anyone in my family will tell you, I’m not much of a shopper. There are several reasons for this, starting with the fact I don’t like traffic or trolling for a parking space. But despite the daunting prospect of full parking lots and possible inclement weather, I do appreciate beautiful things, which is